The search is over!  The ultimate Highlands and Islands Icon as voted for on the Highland 2007 website is - Nessie.

Nominations flooded in from across the globe after an initial competition in Scottish Provincial Press titles across the Highlands.  The top six most popular icons chosen by the public were put forward to an online poll on the Highland 2007 website.

Always the odds on favourite to win, Nessie beat off competition from Flora Macdonald, Rob Roy Macgregor, Hugh Miller, Simon Fraser of Lovat and Bonnie Prince Charlie to win the coveted title of Highlands and Islands Icon.

Votes came from the USA, Ghana, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Greece and Finland – and throughout the whole of the UK.

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: "We are delighted by the response we received for the online vote.  It’s great to see so many people from all over the world visiting the Highland 2007 website and finding out more about what is happening as part of the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.

"Nessie is a deserved winner of the title as she is a recognised icon throughout the world and always draws visitors to the Highlands in their hunt for the elusive creature.  It is very apt she has been named winner at this time as Nessie and the new film ‘Water Horse’, which will be released in the USA later this year, attracted lots of attention form the crowds who visited the Scottish Village as part of Tartan Week in New York earlier this month.”